Englishness should be about ‘where you are rather than where your grandparents are from’, Billy Bragg tells councillors.
The musician and author of The Progressive Patriot, an investigation into the meaning of national identity in modern Britain, spoke today at the Local Government Association (LGA) conference about an alternative view of English devolution and identity.
The left-wing singer-songwriter said England is the ‘elephant in the room’ of the Brexit result and called for a conversation around developing a progressive English identity. He explained that nationality is about ‘space rather than race’.
He called for more devolution of powers to England’s regions and away from London and said a lot can be learned from the Scottish, Welsh and Irish models.
He also stressed the importance of introducing proportional representation to ensure all votes count, as they did during the referendum.
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